1. It could have been a Lotus.
2. Tithe British are able to make things hotter so they have something called cast iron. It doesn't melt in the presence of exhaust fumes.
3. They won the war
4. I have never had to tow one home, and unlike my Porsche the truck driver doesn't recognize the car.
5. I am good at fixing wires.
6. I don't need a car that feels incredibly stable on the road.
7. I don't need a car that is so great I will never get tired of driving it
8. I can afford the parts.
9. It could have been an e type

10. You want to play with Lucas electronics.

Not to offend the British, but "we" won the war.

With a lot of help

....Now, the Brit invasion of the 60's.....different chapter(beatle's-ect.)
ya,BTW....The brit cars I've collected haven't been that reliable...despite
large ducat's being thrown at them!!

Indeed! Hence the"we".

I’ve been through a few English cars; the only electrical problems were the Americans working on them.

But the rock hard springs and lever shocks got olde. The leaking tops were horrible, not mention the wind noise. Except for one or two months of winter or night drives with the top down the engine, transmission, and exhaust heat were unnecessary. The English sports cars are great, they’re all just 10 to 15 years late with there technology.

and syncing strombergs

I personally love strombergs. Unfortunately the car they are in doesn't feel slide rule perfect as the Porsche.

really? i thought the dashpots were funky. i had an austin healy for a couple of years.

Sell the car and buy one you will enjoy.

and parts are still available.

"I’ve been through a few English cars; the only electrical problems were the Americans working on them."

I love British cars...always have! My TR6's leak oil (like 914's), leak in the rain (like 914's), and always need something (like 914's). I guess they aren't so different!



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Everything you don't have is always better than what you do have.

I am so glad I kicked my crack habit called the 914.

But out of the pan and into the fire, go kart racing is even more addicting. and probably even more expensive.

And I can't even drive one to dinner with the wife.

Amen.

I raced Sprites in the 60's, ran through a series of Cortinas and still have a Lotus Seven replica in the garage. My first motorcycle was still Whitworth. I've gone through decades of BSA's and Triumphs and have pushed every one of them home so I'm REAL familiar with Lucas electronics. Kenny Roberts started out as a kid at Jewett Motors here in Modesto, a dealer for both Yamaha and BSA. In their showroom the Yamahas all just sat there in a line along one side, but there was a drip pan under EVERY new BSA on the other side. Ten years ago I worked for an English company, spent half my time over there working with vintage car racers, and got only knowing smiles when I told them we had a company back home specialized in putting Chevy V8's into Jaguars, called "Jags That Run". They knew, and they knew I knew. There's a list of good reasons the homegrown English auto industry disappeared.

I suspect this is thread is all a hoax, but if you really think vintage Britcars are a better experience than Porsche then I suggest you go do that for a while. Then come back and we'll talk.

Oh, and by the way, I'm not a Porschephile, don't have the word Porsche or the company's logo anywhere on my bastard car. I just don't like pain.

Mine is Saphire blue. When things were going bad with the 914 I decided to go to the shop and pull it out of storage. Beautiful day, top down, 6 gears with the overdrive and the six is smooth as silk. But it is also basically a brand new car after six years of restoration. And on the curves, which I love, the tr6 can't do what the little narp will do so no, I am not going to sell, but it was nice to take something out I could just drive.

The TR6 is narrow and isn't early as tight as the 914. But, the sound it makes is wonderful!

For your listening pleasure


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHvAz0mcjqE

At the real risk of ticking off my friends here, that quick change in note is finding the correct gear quickly.
But I drove the 914 for another 60 miles today and am making progresstowards a reconciliation. Everything has a time and place,

Yes the brit cars can be fun. I agree with the lucas wiring problems are moe folk lore than reality. Usually caused by vehicle neglect and corrosion than the wiring itself. Mis-spliced wiring by hamfisted mechanics are also to blame. Heres the Healey I just finished.

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Austin-Healey Diamond-Blue - MAGNIFICENTLY SPECTACULAR looking BIG HEALEY ! Is it a BN7 or a tri-carb ?

wOW

914-4 vs. TR6.
I'll stick with the 914.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phDSoeWNW5A

Never did care for the wood floor in dads MGA

"Austin-Healey Diamond-Blue - MAGNIFICENTLY SPECTACULAR looking BIG HEALEY ! Is it a BN7 or a tri-carb ?"

Thanks, yes it came out really nice. No its a 1957 BN4 100-6. The Bn7's were 2 seaters and the tri carb cars were only 61 or 62's. This is the first version of the big healey's the 100-6 before they became the 3000.

I had a brief "affair" with a British car. It was quick and handled well. But when things broke (and that was often) it was always expensive.

I spend far more time under brit stuff than under german stuff. I enjoy them both. Old cars are old cars - just different flavors.

I consider the brit stuff more frilly and frail - even at the top end. I am still surprised how much an e-type steering wheel flexes. I swear I could break it if wanted to.

I am surprised at your experience with prices mettleman - I have found Porsche parts to cost significantly more than brit stuff. In fact, the only time I can recall where prices were even close was when ordering full leather/wool interior kits and some bits for pre-war and 1940's era cars - but I have absolutely no experince with Lotus. I can absolutely say with a straight face that I have never had an electrical issue with a lucas car other than when something had been futzed with or modified prior.

Great looking Healey. I have very late production (1968) BJ8 3000. It is a great car - and suprisingly comfortable even for a lug like me. Here are a couple of crappy pics. The smaller one is prior to adding chrome wires.

Totally Inspiring!

But he did have the cool James Bond 007 smoke-screen option built in!

--DD

As somebody who was born and has lived in the uK for most of my life apart from a few years in Chicago, it will be a cold day in hell whne I purchase a British car, the only one that comes close is a Jensen Interceptor, German engineering is what it is...

Really? I dont know... a very early morning on an empty interstate wearing a leather helmet and goggles in this car will pretty much put a smile on my face for at least a couple of days....

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I had an Etype in the late 80's. What a sexy car, but the platform was already 10 years old and nothing had been done to improve it. Yeah maybe the 12 was such, but that's all you saw when lifting the bonnet. Access to anything was difficult enough with the 6.

The fact that the hood is called a bonnet says frilly indeed; and the steering wheel, which is the only remainder of that car that I've got, is like squeezing a chicken neck- there's nothing to it. Every so often I look at it and laugh. And thoseskinnybicycle tires didnt do much for the handling..

So to me, the car always felt like the dainty crumpet it was. That being said, it never broke down. No wait, there was the time I had to tighten the positive terminal on the starter. Took longer to find the damn thing. Then there was the time when waiting at a light on a real hot day, profuse smoke erupted from the glove box. Never found out why...

Slapping on a set of triple SU's and ditching the Strombergs helped immensely. And I I never had to do a valve adjustment, which involves shims and an oven...

Chicks dug it tho... And it was fun to drive. And the sound of those chains running around the cams was pretty darn sweet...

Shit,...I guess it was alright after all..

Brit cars vs. the 914...root canal vs. spinal tap.

Forgot to mention...drove my car just over 950 miles this past weekend. Not a hiccup, or that questionable feeling that you're doing the sane thing. Just a long, fun drive.

Complete confidence.

I have several manufacturer cars over the past 40 plus years. Each had its own strengths and weaknesses. The British was the construction, electrical, styling, etc which varied from each manufacturer; the Italian with their design houses, style, electrical, etc; the Germans with their engineering, performance, style, etc.; the Americans with their Cobras, Corvettes, and special limited production cars. I found each country offered pros and cons depending on the manufacturers, purpose, design, etc.

British: I had three - 1956 Austin Healey B100, 1977 Lotus Esprit, 1970 TR-6. Italian: 43 Alfa Romeo Spiders and GTVs. German: 2 Porsche 914s converted to v-8 and sixes. American: 3 Corvettes - 1953, 1964 roadster, 1990 Coupe with removable top, and 2004 C-5.

As you can see I really went overboard with the Alfas (1966-1986) which I enjoyed working on and driving. They just took my fancy and I did have problems which included the electrical systems of Lucus, Marelli, and Bosch. These problems as well as others on these cars could be found on the other country cars. Each car gave its own set of problems which gave me a great opportunity to learn directly from the different types. Those years were great fun especially during the years of 1956 and early 1970s


In sum, you should buy what you enjoy and can learn from including in driving them on the road and the track. Each one has it's own expense curve and they average out through the enjoyment and participation with them, no matter which country the car comes from.

When I see other owners of makes different from my interests, I am there to enjoy their cars along with them. We are just one big fraternity with members liking different things. Cars are made to enjoy and participate with others; so I enjoy everything about our car hobby.

These are my thoughts.

Steve Hurt